


A Commencement Address By Bossuet

by Akallabeth



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Gen, Les Mis Trans Week 2019, Modern AU, Trans Character, see story notes for content warnings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-18 01:17:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20630690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akallabeth/pseuds/Akallabeth
Summary: Modern AU of Marius meeting Lesgles and Courfeyrac, based on 3.4.2 ("Blondeau's Funeral Oration by Bossuet").  Marius is trans, his grandfather's a jerk, and the ABC Club is here is to help.





	A Commencement Address By Bossuet

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for homophobia, and transphobia (mostly off-page, but driving the events on-page), including mis-gendering, dead-naming, and the threat of homelessness & food insecurity. See end-note for more specific details of the AU backstory.

"You'd do better to spread some books around; make it look like you're studying too hard rather than intentionally napping." The strange voice interrupted Marius's sleep. It had done him a favor, in a way--he'd been dreaming that he was in a taxi which drove around in circles without stopping. But then, it had also consigned him back to the reality that 1) he had no where to sleep tonight _except_ for the 24-hour student library, wherein he was currently too-obviously napping in a study carrel, 2) his bank account could maybe stretch to a month's rent, but there's no way he'd be able to pay a deposit as well, and 3) he hadn't eaten since breakfast due to concerns _vis a vis_ the second point.

"Um, thanks?" Marius blinked himself awake, to be met with a vaguely familiar figure--tall, dark, apparently bald under a slouchy cap, and with a certain twinkle in the eye.

A twinkle that disappeared as the eye took in Marius' small pile of belongings: a perfectly normal blue backpack, a small suitcase which gave away his plight, and the large gym bag that caused Marius's most recent set of troubles. More specifically, the tag on the gym bag--now bearing a name card of Marius Pontmercy--that had caused this recent set of troubles. Marius had been so excited when the cards arrived, ordered in a heady rush of freedom (following his successful request that his linguistics professor call him "Marius Pontmercy", not "M---e Pontmercy-Gillenormand"). Those formerly-twinkling brown eyes alighted on the card, grew almost imperceptibly-wider, and then gave way to a deliberate grin.

"Pontmercy! Just the person I've been looking for. You're in Blondeau's Intro to Political Science class?"

"--Yes?" Marius didn't know how to proceed. That was not the conversation he expected to be having. "Do you need notes from today? I'm afraid I missed class...there was a, that is, I had some pressing business come up. At the last minute. OtherwiseIwoulddefinitelyhavebeeninclass." Marius could tell that he was started to blather, but Twinkle-Eyes merely offered a hand to shake.

With no small amount of confusion, Marius shook the stranger-turned-classmate's hand.

"I have much to thank you for, Marius Pontmercy." There was a slight emphasis on the first name, as though the stranger wanted to make sure Marius heard the last syllable. "You have saved me from a truly intolerable situation."

"Me? But I don't know you!" Marius protested. His voice crept higher in his panic, and now he'd given himself away, was bracing for the backlash that he'd already seen enough of today--

"A situation we're fortunately remedying", the twinkle was back. It was oddly reassuring, like the universe had just re-affirmed some constant. Less fortunately, his own inner confusion had caused Marius to miss the beginning of Twinkle's story about their shared course and how today's session had transpired. "--I admitted that I was not Pontmercy, but that that didn't negate university rules, notably section 4 of the Diversity Affirmation--which explicitly states that instructors are to honor students' name and pronoun preferences--and that's when he threw me out. It was a clear case of discrimination based on gender identity, so student services arranged for me to move into Professor Lemarque's section, even though it was fully-subscribed. And they're looking into Blondeau's treatment of non-cis students." Twinkle paused for a response, but Marius had had the worst of days, and was far from awake to boot.

"They should have sent you an e-mail about transfering sections as well", the other added. This time Marius managed to find his run-away train of thought.

"Thank you. I, er, what's your name?"

"Lesgles. They/them. My friends call me Eagle. Or Bossuet, but that's a rather long in-joke." Lesgles continued to grin, but tempered with a subdued air of concern. "I don't mean to pry, but do you have somewhere to sleep tonight?"

Marius started.

"That wasn't a proposition", Lesgles clarified, "only I've had a few bouts of lease difficulties, and recognize the sleeping-in-the-library-look. There's help available, if you need it."

"Help? What kind of help? It's only, I live with my grandfather--or rather, I _lived_ with my grandfather and aunt, but they're still angry about my mother having a girlfriend instead of a husband, and even after she died, they wouldn't let me know my other mom; then today they found out I'm--" Marius stumbled over the word, but finally got it out--"a...a guy. Grandfather kept calling my mothers cruel words, and saying that it was their fault, that I was a freak, and just rebelling, and that I'd never find a nice man if I went around pretending to be one..." Marius fell silent. _And used that word, _he thought. Grandfather had referred to his all-but-in-law-daughter-in-law by that word ever since Marius had come to live with him, and for the first time he'd used it against Marius and Marius's other mother as well.

Lesgles had caught Marius's hand at some point, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "That's over. You don't have to go back there. We'll find you help--housing and tuition assistance, social service referrals, a job, loans, even hardship withdrawals if it comes to that." Marius's mind whirled. He could do this? He could do this. There was a way to stay in school, to continue living as Marius Pontmercy, away from his grandfather's disapproval and his aunt's forceful 'gifts' of dresses and make-up. Marius felt his body start to relax for the first time since Grandfather had spotted the incriminating tag on his gym bag that morning.

Lesgles had their phone out--a brief glimpse of cracked screen, a disapproving look from a passing shelver--"Courf, is there anyone one the couch tonight? No, I just met the elusive Pontmercy and", Lesgles covered the phone with a hand "What're your pronouns? Sorry I should have checked sooner."

"He/him."

Lesgles was back on the phone, "--he needs a place to crash." Muffled phone noises. "Probably. I didn't ask. We're in--oh, there you are!" Lesgles waved with their free hand, and ended the call. A new figured appeared, slightly shorter than Lesgles (but still a little taller than Marius himself), and most notably wearing a brightly striped shirt with the legend 'I am the very model of a modern pansexual.'

"Courfeyrac, this is Marius Pontmercy, an esteemed classmate in need of lodgings. Marius, this is Courfeyrac, first-year law student and social secretary of the ABC Club."

"The ABC club?" Marius couldn't place it specifically--but then, his aunt hadn't approved of 'odd hours', so he'd always come straight home after classes, and had never done more than wistfully glance at the student organization posters that littered the campus. His morning swimming class was offered as a physical education credit, but even that was flirting dangerously close to having a life outside of the house.

"One of the more radical LGBTQUIAP student groups", Courfeyrac clarified. "We're here for all the letters, so to speak, and it's easy to remember."

"Also, we couldn't resist the pun", Lesgles added.

"I hear you need a couch for the night? Or more permanent housing?" Like Lesgles, Courfeyrac seemed to have taken in all of Marius's situation in a few glances, while maintaining a light-hearted demeanor.

"Yes. Both." Marius felt his face growing red.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. Priority for the couch goes to students in crisis; it's in our house rules. But now that Eagle's in the basement with Joly and Musichetta, there's a room available. Well, an alcove. Up in the attic, but Jehan's a sweetheart, and the rent's low."

"I don't have--" Marius felt the tension, temporarily abated, creep back into his muscles. Money problems had never bothered him before--a fact that he'd never sufficiently appreciated until today--and now they were again standing in his way.

"We'll figure it out", Courfeyrac declared. "You don't need to sign anything today, and if you decide to move in, Enjolras's aunt own the house, so you don't need to worry about credit checks."

"Sleep on it", Lesgles encouraged, reaching down to lift Marius's gym bag, and nudging the suitcase towards Courfeyrac. "Tomorrow Courfeyrac will work his magic with the student job boards, Jehan will help you navigate the registrar's office, Enjolras will get you on the lease, I'll see you transferred into Lemarque's section, and Joly will help you find a therapist at the student wellness center. If you want to talk with one."

Marius let himself be guided by his new friends--out of the library, up the avenue, and onto the porch of a large, old-fashioned single-family house. The neighborhood was full of similar structures--each divided into apartments, every possible space dubbed a "bedroom" to drive up the rents--but this one seemed different, somehow. It was freshly-painted, the front garden well-tended, and showed every aspect of being loved and maintained by the residents: a home, not just a rental property.

It also sported, above the neatly-painted spindle-work on the porch roof, just about every color of flag Marius had ever seen, in an explosion of stripes and rainbows.

"Let us know if you want to add any", Lesgles had noticed Marius staring, "there's always room for more." 

**Author's Note:**

> Spoiler-y full content warning and backstory: this is a modern AU of Marius' meeting with the Friends of the ABC (Les Mis 3.4.2). Marius is a heterosexual transman. His grandfather disinherited his mother when she came out as lesbian. Gillenormand successfully won custody of Marius after her death because she was not legally (able to be) married to her wife. Marius was raised in a homophobic home environment; after coming out in college, he has tried to learn as much as he can about his Mom and Mother (now both deceased). Gillenormand takes this all very badly, and insists on mis-naming and mis-gendering his grandson. Marius leaves his grandfather's house, and meets some classmates who want to help.


End file.
